a spoken word & Qawwali collaboration.

Sonny Mehta, artistic director of music ensemble Riyaaz Qawwali, extended the opportunity to collaborate on a project that interrogates anti-Blackness, considers histories of allyship and pathways toward community change, and builds relationships between Black and South Asian communities. Through a months-long creative process of instrumentation, poetry, and necessary conversations navigating our personal, historical, and systemic realities, we created a series of videos and lesson plans that can help start and/or continue a dialogue between our audiences. We hope you enjoy.

“Sounds of Solidarity” is supported through AAPI Fund’s Creative Catalyst Fellowship.